noun · academic
realism
/ˈriːəlɪzəm/RE·a·lism
an approach that accepts and deals with things as they are in practical terms rather than as they should be
Examples
“A dose of realism is needed when setting policy targets.”
“International relations theory often contrasts realism and idealism.”
“His realism meant he focused on achievable short-term steps.”
Band 8 sentence
“Policymakers should temper optimism with realism to ensure proposed reforms are implementable.”
Collocations
- political realism
- a dose of realism
- realistic expectations
Word family
Common mistakes
She is very realism about budgets.→She is very realistic about budgets.
There are many realisms in that novel.→There are many realistic elements in that novel.
Say it for a higher band
5common sense→6pragmatism→7+realism
Synonyms
pragmatism
Easily confused
idealism
“Adopting realism helped the negotiators reach a compromise.”
Related words
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In -ism
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